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We decided that today was going to be our Temple Day. We had no fixed itinerary but we had a list of temples we wanted to visit. It was kind of exciting not having a fixed route but if we really wanted to maximize our time, we should at least have an idea which temples we should prioritize. We asked for directions and tips from some guys who were lounging by outside the place we were staying. They were kind enough to advise us which temples we should visit and they also wrote down the names in Thai so that it would be easier for the Tuk-tuk drivers to read.

After having our written directions, we set out to look for a Tuk-tuk that can take us to the temples in our list. It was a bit hard to communicate with the locals since majority of them didn’t really know how to speak English. Luckily, we were able to find one happy driver that gave us a price of Thb 250 for the whole trip (Thb 250 divided by 5 people = Thb 50 each).

I’d like to highlight the Tuk-tuk transportation that they uniquely have in Thailand. It’s this jeep-like tricycle that drove around the city with absolutely no regard of any traffic rule whatsoever. They would race through between two cars or trucks or vans and take you to your destination the fastest. I never got the name of our driver, he only called us “my friend”, but he was really nice to us. He tried his best to communicate with us in English (plus a lot of hand gestures) and he would go with us inside the temples to take our pictures. He even had his choreographed poses that he would insist we follow. All in all, he made us appreciate the friendliness of some Thai people.

They all had the name “Thailand” at the back of their Tuk-tuks. It’s heartwarming to see them this patriotic, or maybe it’s a government-mandated, nonetheless, I found it very nationalistic.

This ride though isn’t very ideal for a traveling group of more than 5 people. We were really crammed up at the back seat. There’s no front seat, so everybody had to sit at the back. But now that I think about it, (aside from the rollercoaster feel during the entire trip) this was one of the many reasons we enjoyed the short tour around Bangkok. 🙂

Our first stop was at the Golden Mount atWat Saket or Phu Khao Thong.

“…the Golden Mount is the most precious property of Wat Srakes and also of the Thai Nation as a whole.”

The Buddhist temple has become one of the symbols of Bangkok. It was a unique temple for me. You had to climb a winding stair of about 300 steps going to this altar and then another set of tiny ladder going up to a huge bell-looking structure at the top. The over-looking view of the whole city gave us the chance to appreciate the view of Bangkok in a hot afternoon. They had an entrance fee of Thb 20 per person.

I really appreciated the panoramic view of the beautiful city of Bangkok even if it meant having to endure the scorching heat of the midday sun.

I don’t really know the significance of this structure. But as a tourist, I was in awe of how they were able to build something like this on top of a mountain, considering that the temple dated back as far as 1300 AD.

I read somewhere that this temple used to be the city’s first crematorium. There were about 300 dead bodies dumped somewhere here.

And of course, a temple wouldn’t be one without an altar. We weren’t allowed to step on the carpet at the foot of the altar since this was where the worshipers knelt and prayed.

After exploring the temple, I understood why a lot of tourists should definitely take the time to visit. Everything was beautiful and very married with nature plus you’d get a free and wonderful view of the whole city.

Second temple was Wat Suthatthepwararam.

The temple is situated in the middle of the city. I was in awe at how big the image of the Buddha was inside their altar. I also loved the beautiful smaller versions of the Buddha lined up outside the walls of the temple.

Third temple was Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

This is the biggest and oldest temple in Bangkok. As the name implies, it is the home of a reclining image of Buddha. Aside from that, you’ll get to feast on the scenic paintings they have on their temple walls. A fee of Thb 100 per person was charged upon entrance.

They had a strict dress code that you had to follow as well. For women, you are not allowed to wear sleeveless or short skirts & shorts. You would either be required to cover up using your own scarf or jackets, or you could also borrow a robe from the entrance. No footwear was allowed inside as well. You’ll have to explore the temple barefoot. They give you shoe bags for your sandals, slipper or shoes so that you can bring them with you when you go inside the temple and wear them right after you exit.

This ended our tour of the temples in Bangkok. I know there are still several that we missed to visit, but we were really tired already, so we decided to go straight to Chinatown and do a little bit of shopping instead.

In Chinatown, they sell a lot of random things that you can buy and bring home as pasalubongs. This was the best place to buy accessories as well. They didn’t really sell them very cheap, but they had lots of options. Our bargain-hunting skills were truly achieved when we found a stall that sold beautiful earrings at Thb 10 each!

I love Thai fashion. It doesn’t shy away from places like Chinatown and the like. People who shop here are still fashionable and chic. I guess it’s a major perk living in one of the ultimate shopping destinations in Asia.

They had lots of hand-painted decorations that showcased Thai talent and highlighted the culture of the Thai people.

After going around Chinatown’s shopping area, we treated ourselves to a delicious cone of sidewalk coconut ice cream. It tasted heavenly and cost us only Thb 15 each.

Since we still had little time left, we decided to drop by Siam Paragon. It was another mall that was impressively huge. High-end boutiques filled-up the gigantic shopping center. Their food market (or food court if it were in our country) was really amazing. It housed numerous restaurants and had hundreds of stalls that served all kinds of food. We decided to try the CocoIchibanya or the Curry House.

They served all kinds of Curry dishes. I wasn’t in the mood to eat rice, so I ended up ordering their salad, which was really good as well.

On our way back home, we decided to walk around and enjoy Bangkok at night. I couldn’t help but stop and capture the beauty of the busy street.

And when we got to Pratunam, our eyes were treated to another long rows of stuff to buy. This place never runs out of shopping areas. You can take your pick: whether you like shopping with the sun out or you like shopping with the night breeze. Either way, you’d be treated to the same unbelievably cheap prices!

This alley also had a food fair that featured numerous kinds of food: Thai, Persian, Chinese, etc. I tried tasting a few since they had free tasting pieces served. But my friends stopped me from trying too many kinds of dishes because I might end up upsetting my stomach. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

Our favorite find was this little stall that made customized key chains and jewelries. For Thb 90, we were able to buy cute souvenirs for our loved-ones back home.

We finally reached the hotel by around 9pm. It was a long and tiring day but we still wanted to explore the infamous Khaosan Road. This was the ultimate party destination suggested by a lot of people for us to visit. And they even say that you should never leave Bangkok without spending one night here. After resting for an hour, we showered and headed back out for an exciting night of exploring another side of the city.

Khaosan road was a bit far from our hotel. They say that it’s a 20-minute Tuk-tuk drive. But it’s actually farther, only that the Tuk-tuk will be able to get you there at the shortest period of time. We paid Thb 90 to get there (Thb 90 divided by 3 = Thb 30 each person).

The minute we got to Khaosan Road, we were greeted again by another set of several rows of shopping stalls. The place was littered with bars that were situated side by side with each other, a number of massage parlors, stalls for hair weaves, and a lot of foreigners from all over the world enjoying the night.

We treated ourselves to a yummy plate of Pad Thai that cost only Thb 20! This city truly is one of my favorite travel destinations. 😀

We found this stall that sold cooked insects of all kinds! This I could never try. I hate anything that crawls and for me to put it inside my mouth is just too disgusting. I was in awe of how exotic the dishes looked.

But not disgusting enough for me not to take pictures. I paid Thb 10 to be able to take photos. I even had a photo with the vendor! 😀

We decided to have mercy on our feet and since we also wanted to experience an authentic Thai massage, we booked ourselves a spot in one of their massage parlors. We paid Thb 120 for a 30-minute foot massage with a bottle of Thb 30 beer.

And by far, that was the best foot massage I’ve ever had in my entire life! Never leave Bangkok without experiencing their prowess in massage. 🙂

It was a long but definitely fulfilling day for us. We saw more of what Bangkok has to offer to its growing number of tourists from all over the world. Ultimately, they let you immerse so much into their culture that you can’t stop yourself from falling in love.

I only wish that they’d have more information about the history of their temples available to English speaking foreigners. It would’ve been an even greater experience if we got to immerse in the stories of the places we’ve been to as well. 🙂